Episode Overview: The dream team signs on for a new project, Turtle and Drama look to make a quick buck, and Lloyd copes with a breakup.
While Ari (Jeremy Piven) is proud of himself for assembling the “dream team” for Vince's new project (Vince stars, Eric producers, and Walsh directs), Eric is busy de-assembling the team. He calls Ari to deliver the news: he and Vine want Walsh off the project. Ari won't hear of it, sending them to meet with movie heavyweight Dana Gordon, who's looking to hire them.
When Ari arrives at the office, he notices Lloyd (Rex Lee) is a little out of sorts. His boyfriend broke up with him but Ari isn't in the mood to hear the details. Walsh is busy waiting to meet with Ari, to discuss him becoming his agent. Ari brings the boys in unexpectedly for an apology session. Everyone kisses, makes up, and the dream team is back together. Just when the celebration gets going, Lloyd abruptly takes a leave of absence to cope, with Ari all on his own now.
Turtle wants the boys to go with him to see his cousin Ronnie about a money-making scheme but nobody wants in except Drama, of course. They meet Ronnie just where you would expect someone who's rolling in the dough to be – a seedy motel. Ronnie's big scheme is baseball memorabilia, selling Sandy Koufax items, who happens to be on his deathbed. Classy.
Lloyd's abrupt absence leaves Ari with an incompetent temp whom he once fired from the mailroom two years ago. After about 30 seconds, Ari tells him to get lost so he can go find Lloyd himself. “Where do you want me to go?” new assistant Glen asks Ari. “Anywhere but here,” Ari replies with a deadpan expression. “I will kill you.” Please give Jeremy Piven another Emmy.
Ari drives to Lloyd's apartment to get him to come back. Standing outside, on the intercom, Ari pleads with him to come back but Lloyd won't hear of it until Tom comes back to Lloyd. Ari shows up at Tom's workplace, an athletic equipment store, to get them back together. Tom thought Lloyd was cheating and he was right but Ari convinces Tom it's not true.
At the meeting with Dana Gordon, Walsh is his usual, crazy, rambling self. While Dana doesn't seem to mind (too much) and Vince doesn't seem to mind at all, Eric minds big time. He can't do the project and wants off again. Problem solver Ari to the rescue! E leaves the project as producer but his plea to have Vince leave the project fails. Vince and Walsh are in, Eric is out.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Drama and Turtle's get rich quick scheme backfired when they learn Sandy's just fine. Ronnie set them up. Big surprise.
-Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of HBO)